Acclaimed St. Louis Restaurant Bulrush closes due to State's 'anti-LGBTQ efforts' (1 Viewer)

[Rumblefish]

"Rob Connoley has closed his acclaimed Midtown restaurant Bulrush, saying he's "become uneasy promoting a state that is actively working to harm the LGBTQ community, especially the trans community."

Bulrush had become a staple of St. Louis' fine dining scene since opening in 2019, and Connoley in April had been named a first-time finalist in the Best Chef: Midwest competition of the 2024 James Beard Foundation Awards, the top prize of the culinary world."

Acclaimed St. Louis restaurant Bulrush closes due to state's 'anti-LGBTQ efforts'

The award-winning eatery opened in 2019 but the owner says he can no longer 'support a state actively working to harm the LGBTQ community.'

www.ksdk.com

 

[Loulit01]

If these states keep oppressing women and repressing LGBTQ people, there will be a snowball effect. Doctors leaving, colleges losing students, the LGBTQ community drifting to places they're welcome. They keep doubling down and they're going to lose their shirts.

 

[Cameron]

If these states keep oppressing women and repressing LGBTQ people, there will be a snowball effect. Doctors leaving, colleges losing students, the LGBTQ community drifting to places they're welcome. They keep doubling down and they're going to lose their shirts.

Everybody knows that the gays and hipsters are first-wave gentrification. Without them setting up their restaurants and arts and craft stores there goes your hopes of turning your redneck town into someplace a CEO will feel comfortable moving their company and family.

 

[Michael Cole]

The article was short on details. The link to the original article gives an error.

What does this mean?

Connoley said that an entity tied to Ken Kranzberg, founder of TricorBraun, owns the Bulrush property, 3307 Washington Ave.

What does the founder of a packaging company have to do with this?

What I find interesting is Midtown St. Louis sounds like Midtown Reno. It's a diverse arts/dining/drinking area here, too. No anti-LGBTQ issues, though.

 

[Helix]

If these states keep oppressing women and repressing LGBTQ people, there will be a snowball effect. Doctors leaving, colleges losing students, the LGBTQ community drifting to places they're welcome. They keep doubling down and they're going to lose their shirts.

It will suck if skilled people flee states that are running a race to 1850 via 1950. Those states aren't 100% populated by Republicans, so people who didn't vote for that shit suffer, too. I get it, though. I'd have trouble justifying spending tourism dollars in some states, and that punishes people who don't agree with regressive policies at all but are kind of stuck there.

 

[Michael Cole]

Everybody knows that the gays and hipsters are first-wave gentrification. Without them setting up their restaurants and arts and craft stores there goes your hopes of turning your redneck town into someplace a CEO will feel comfortable moving their company and family.

Like other rust-belt cities, St. Louis has lost population at an alarming rate.



From a high of over 850,000 to 277,315 today.

St. Louis isn't a redneck town, but it was a working-class town. If the story is accurate, the city seems to be driving people away. Illinois is right across the river, and perhaps offers a more welcoming environment for LGBTQ business.

 

[Grand Mal]

Everybody knows that the gays and hipsters are first-wave gentrification. Without them setting up their restaurants and arts and craft stores there goes your hopes of turning your redneck town into someplace a CEO will feel comfortable moving their company and family.

Another thing everyone knows is that, as a group, gay couples often have more disposable income than the average demographic.

 

[Queen Margo]

Downtown Saint Louis is not anti- LGBTQ. The city is riddled with crime. Saint Louis is #1 most dangerous city in the US. I rarely venture into the city. Poorly run by the Dems. Perhaps he is leaving for "other" reasons and chose to put the blame on the state. Whatever.

 

[Integrityrespec]

Downtown Saint Louis is not anti- LGBTQ. The city is riddled with crime. Saint Louis is #1 most dangerous city in the US. I rarely venture into the city. Poorly run by the Dems. Perhaps he is leaving for "other" reasons and chose to put the blame on the state. Whatever.

Come on now. Nothing wrong in ST Louis that you need to worry about as long as you have a half dozen professional body guards with you all the time.

 

[j brown's body]

Downtown Saint Louis is not anti- LGBTQ. The city is riddled with crime. Saint Louis is #1 most dangerous city in the US. I rarely venture into the city. Poorly run by the Dems. Perhaps he is leaving for "other" reasons and chose to put the blame on the state. Whatever.

He's midtown, not downtown.

 

[Rumblefish]

The City of St. Louis - and especially "Midtown," the "Central West End," and the "Grove" neighborhoods - are LGBTQ+ supportive.

The problem identified by the owner of the (now closed) restaurant is that the City of St. Louis is located within a STATE that is not. Or, at least, the STATE GOVERNMENT is not.

And the restauranteur cannot "promote" one (the City of St. Louis) without also supporting the other (the STATE).

Thus, it appears that he's going to take his ball and go play elsewhere....which is a shame.

 

[Rumblefish]

What does this mean?

Connoley said that an entity tied to Ken Kranzberg, founder of TricorBraun, owns the Bulrush property, 3307 Washington Ave.

What does the founder of a packaging company have to do with this?

I suspect that the restauranteur was asked "what will become of the space your restaurant used to occupy?"

I don't think there's any hidden agenda here - just weird editing, writing by Channel 5's website. Kranzberg is a St. Louis philanthropist and one of his charitable entities is the Kranzberg Art Foundation which supports diversity, equity, and inclusion among artists (including LGBTQIA+ artists). Here's a link to the foundation's DEI statement: https://kranzbergartsfoundation.org/our-mission/racial-equity-and-inclusivity/

He and his wife were also behind the construction of a 150-seat black box theater for the New Line Theater which "specializes" in edgy, artsy-fartsy theater pieces.

 

[Queen Margo]

Come on now. Nothing wrong in ST Louis that you need to worry about as long as you have a half dozen professional body guards with you all the time.

Don't forget to wear your bullet proof vest when dining in and around the city.

 

[Rumblefish]

Don't forget to wear your bullet proof vest when dining in and around the city.

Go to the City of St. Louis, MO often and go downtown often. Worked there for 24 years. Lived in the City limits more than half my life. Heck, I even worked in East St. Louis, IL for 3+ years.

Never worn a bullet proof vest. Never been shot. Never been mugged. Never carried a weapon there either.

I know a guy who lived in Jefferson City, Mo - well, actually, just outside JeffCity in the rural part of Cole County - though who spent a night in downtown. Left his handgun in his truck....not in a gun safe (required by City ordinance). Got his truck broken into and his handgun stolen.

When he reported the stolen gun to the City Police, he got a ticket issued to him for not having it in a gun safe.

Pro tip: If you're going to leave your handgun in your vehicle inside City limits, then put it in a gun safe.

The prosecutor was willing to nolle the ticket IF the gun owner showed proof that he had, after the crime, purchased a gun safe....so that next time he'd have and use one.

 

[Queen Margo]

I know a guy who lived in Jefferson City, Mo - well, actually, just outside JeffCity in the rural part of Cole County - though who spent a night in downtown. Left his handgun in his truck....not in a gun safe (required by City ordinance). Got his truck broken into and his handgun stolen.

So, the thug who stole his gun will probably use it one day. I know you blame the guy for owning the gun, but the blame lies with the thug who took it. Seems to be a hard concept for some.

 

[Rumblefish]

So, the thug who stole his gun will probably use it one day. I know you blame the guy for owning the gun, but the blame lies with the thug who took it. Seems to be a hard concept for some.

Responsible gun owner should have responsibly followed the City's ordinances and responsibly secured his gun in a gun safe.

Then it wouldn't matter what the thief did.

Now, the thief is more dangerous than he otherwise would have been.

 

[Queen Margo]

Responsible gun owner should have responsibly followed the City's ordinances and responsibly secured his gun in a gun safe.

Then it wouldn't matter what the thief did.

Now, the thief is more dangerous than he otherwise would have been.

Yes, the gun owner should have secured his gun for sure.

 

[Lovebug]

The article was short on details. The link to the original article gives an error.

What does this mean?

Connoley said that an entity tied to Ken Kranzberg, founder of TricorBraun, owns the Bulrush property, 3307 Washington Ave.

What does the founder of a packaging company have to do with this?

What I find interesting is Midtown St. Louis sounds like Midtown Reno. It's a diverse arts/dining/drinking area here, too. No anti-LGBTQ issues, though.

I couldn't even get that far because of paywall.

 

[Lovebug]

The City of St. Louis - and especially "Midtown," the "Central West End," and the "Grove" neighborhoods - are LGBTQ+ supportive.

The problem identified by the owner of the (now closed) restaurant is that the City of St. Louis is located within a STATE that is not. Or, at least, the STATE GOVERNMENT is not.

And the restauranteur cannot "promote" one (the City of St. Louis) without also supporting the other (the STATE).

Thus, it appears that he's going to take his ball and go play elsewhere....which is a shame.

So he is depriving supporting patrons of the opportunity to dine at his restaurant and runs instead of taking a stance.
IDK.

 

[Rumblefish]

So he is depriving supporting patrons of the opportunity to dine at his restaurant and runs instead of taking a stance.
IDK.

Missouri has gone from a "purple" state to a conservative state to an ultra-conservative state. You can take all the "stance" you want and you're not going to change the GOP domination of the state legislature or, for that matter, the results for state-wide offices.

Listened to a local radio piece on this item and the "last straw" for the owner, a gay man, was Andrew Bailey's (Mo. Attorney General) attempt to get HIPPA medical records for minors receiving treatment for trans-genderism.

Apparently, the owner feels he wants to take his business to a state that is more appreciative of LGBTQIA+ persons.

And, those who want his services can visit him there.